There are four different kinds of strokes each is very different from another. An IM (Individual Medley) is a race with all four strokes in it.

Freestyle*
 Freestyle is the easiest stroke to learn how to swim. You can swim any stroke you want when you race it (most people just race freestyle). In this stroke and any other stroke you are not allowed to pull on the lane ropes or the wall and also you’re not allowed to touch the bottom of the pool. Freestyle or Free for short is the easiest because all you have to do is kick on your stomach and your arms move in a circular motion. The cycle of your arms come out of the water with high elbows then the arm enters fingers first. Next your arm comes down and it then drives it through the water. You need to rotate your shoulder when you do this stroke. That is how you swim freestyle.

Butterfly*
Butterfly is the hardest of all the strokes. To kick butterfly, you kick with both your legs and feet together up and down. To do the arm motion mostly the main part of doing Butterfly is you move your arms over you should towards each other a little bit. Next you have to reach out when you do the stroke. Whenever you put your hands underwater you want to then separate them a little more. Next quickly move your arms out of the water. Continue the arm and leg motion and that’s how yow swim the Butterfly or the Fly. Also using your hips helps you’re a lot in this stroke. Also using your hips helps you’re a lot in this stroke.

Backstroke*
 To do Backstroke it’s almost exactly like freestyle. For some people it’s their most difficult stroke, but for others it’s the easiest. Except for a few things that are different. For one is your on your back the whole time. Your legs are pretty much the main part of doing this stroke. You must kick as hard as your can. Your feet should be just below the surface. Also your feet shouldn’t be far apart. Your arms should rotate in a backwards circular motion. When your arms exit the water, your thumbs should come first. Then you turn you hand in the air so your pinkie finger is first to enter the water. Once your hand enters the water your other arm should be exiting the water. You repeat the cycle and that is how you swim the Backstroke.
 

Breaststroke*
Breast is the stroke that many people think it’s the frog stroke. Well it kind of does look like a frog. But to do it you bring your feet close to the back of your legs, and then propel them out. Then bring your heals together (kind of like what a frog does). You then repeat that cycle. For your arms they should be spread them outward with your thumbs down. Next your arms come back together in a downward motion. Next yours arms shout out when your feet are about to touch together. This is how to swim the breaststroke.